A modern professional photographer in the field typically carries a digital or film camera system comprising at least one single lens reflex (SLR) camera body and several lenses for attachment to the camera body.
A professional photographer needs a piece of luggage or carrier for this photographic equipment that is as compact as possible. Such a piece of luggage preferably should be made to fit the limits for carry-on-board bags for air transportation because a photographer usually does not wish to have her expensive and delicate photographic equipment transported in checked luggage. In addition, a piece of luggage meeting these size limitations will be more convenient to carry in the field.
Carry-on luggage size limitations vary with the airline but most domestic (U.S.) airlines permit a carry-on piece of luggage that is 45 linear (total of the three dimensions) inches. A common sized bag for carry-on luggage that just meets but does not exceed this requirement measures twenty-two inches in height by fourteen inches in width by nine inches in depth. Some domestic and foreign airlines specify the maximum sizes permitted for specific dimensions (height, width or depth). Other airlines specify different maxima for the total linear inches of the carry-on luggage. Currently, carry-on luggage that does not exceed twenty-two inches in height by fourteen inches in width by nine inches in depth will satisfy most airlines' size limitations.
A carry-on piece of luggage preferably should be able to accommodate an extra-large telephoto lens. An extra-large telephoto lens often used by sports photojournalists and other professional photographers is a 400 mm 2.8 f-stop aperture telephoto lens (sometimes referred to as a “400” or “4”). Both Canon and Nikon make such a lens. By itself, with the lens hood for shielding from the sun reversed in the storage position on the front of the lens, the lens measures 8 inches in maximum diameter by 14.75 inches long. The part of the lens with the maximum diameter when configured this way is 7.2 inches long. This lens also weighs about 20 pounds. A carry-on piece of luggage preferably should allow for the carrying of very large (and heavy) lenses such as this telephoto lens, and preferably even larger lenses such as a 500 mm 4 f-stop or even a 600 mm 4 f-stop telephoto lens.
Preferably, the carry-on piece of luggage should be able to carry a 500 mm 4 f-stop or even a 600 mm 4 f-stop telephoto lens with lens hood mounted in the reversed position.
A collection of photographic equipment can be heavy, whether because it includes a large and weighty piece such as the 400 mm 2.8 f-stop aperture telephoto lens or simply a significant number of lighter lenses, camera bodies, spare batteries, and the like. The photographer who does not approach the fitness standards of special operations troops will tend to prefer a piece of luggage that is wheeled so that she can pull it behind her, the weight being supported by the wheels. This will be especially advantageous when walking significant distances, as in some airports.
Adding wheels to a carry-on piece of luggage for photographic equipment generally requires a frame and handle assembly to be incorporated in the piece of luggage that reduces the depth of the piece of luggage. Large articles of photographic equipment, such as the 400 mm 2.8 f-stop aperture telephoto lens, hitherto could not be accommodated in a carry-on piece of luggage while meeting the nine-inch depth of the most generally acceptable carry-on luggage size restrictions. No known carry-on wheeled luggage is capable of accommodating a bulky lens such as the 400 mm 2.8 f-stop aperture telephoto lens, at least because the frame and handle assembly shortens the depth of the internal compartment of the luggage.
Accordingly, a need exists for a wheeled piece of luggage designed to carry bulky photographic equipment while meeting carry-on luggage size restrictions.
In particular, a need exists for carry-on wheeled piece of luggage designed to carry a large telephoto lens, such as a 400 mm 2.8 f-stop aperture telephoto lens, in addition to other photographic equipment.
A 400 mm 2.8 f-stop aperture telephoto lens is a very expensive piece of photographic gear. A need also exists for means for securing luggage that may contain valuable gear from unauthorized removal such as theft. Preferably this means should be incorporated into the luggage.